A Northrop-Grummond built DSP satellite. These current satellites only detect ballistic missile launches, rather than shoot them down.

New $5M study is first allocated since work was halted 15 years ago.

Congress recently approved a $5 million grant to begin study of space-based missile defenses. This marks the first time money has been allocated to the program since work on space-based systems was canceled in the 1990s by President Clinton. Two years ago, Congress rejected a similar proposal.

According to Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ), the threat of missile proliferation has grown rapidly since the 1990s. A total of 120 nations now have ballistic missile technology, he said, and nations like North Korea and Iran are not only developing the technology, but selling it on the open market. Missile defense systems are growing as well; 27 nations now have some form of missile defense.

The most recent annual report from the Pentagon highlighted the growing threat of accidental or intentional launch of ballistic missiles, as well as the vulnerability of U.S. satellites to attack, as evidenced by China's 2007 missile test, which destroyed a satellite in orbit.

A defense official commenting on the proposal told the Washington Times that space-based ABM systems are necessary for global, rapid defense, "It's really the only way to defend the U.S. and its allies from anywhere on the planet". The official said such defenses were last considered during the late 1980s, as part of the Global Protection Against Limited Strike, or GPALS, a multi-prong system which used ground and sea-based interceptors, along with space-based platforms. The plan was cancelled by the Clinton Administration, which focused all work on short-range missiles only.

The U.S. announced last year that its ground-based Star Wars' missile defense system was operational and ready for use, though capable at present of covering only parts of the U.S. Plans to expand the system in Europe are under way.

Despite claims to the contrary, China is also apparently working on similar proposals, says China military affairs specialist Richard Fisher. The program, which China says it halted in the 1960s, has apparently been restarted with such systems as the SC-19 anti-satellite missile. According to Fisher, China is also trying to deploy space-warfare weapons, aircraft carrier groups, and a much larger MIRV'ed version of its nuclear ballistic missile arsenal.

Fisher, author of the new book, "China's Military Modernization: Building for Regional and Global Reach", says that by 2020, China "will be well on their way to assembling all the elements of global power that [the U.S.] has today".

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Well, here it is in simple english..If you are walking with your buddy, down a street, and a guy wants to beat you up. If you are the weakling looking person, boom you get jumped. simple strategy, you fight the person you think you can easily win.NOW if you had a gun, and the guy made a movement to you, and you pulled out gun, the bad guy, will probably stop in his tracts. Unless he had a gun himself..This story goes back and forth..

The reason for having a huge military, and a heavy defense, how ever the illusion, it is a BIGGGGGG message, that will stop 99% of whoever is thinking of attacking us, or an ally.

You can get killed walking your doggie. (heat)..the key is showing your potential attacker that hitting you would be a veryyyy bad/costly idea.

Why do we need a missile system. EASY,, We arent worried about the country with 10 nukes, we are VERYYYY worried about the country with just 1, and wants to use it.

A Bio Weapon, (we alreaddy have a TONNNN of them), the key is that we have it... So does china.. so does russia.. Why arent anyone using them, well, goes with the first statements.. if you have something, and your enemy doesnt you have the power, but if you both have it, you are less likely to want to deploy anything, for fear of it happening to you. Terrorist=Freedom fighters. Technically, the USA's forefathers were terrorists against England. Religious fighters.. Same thing, Christians/Muslims/other.. Been fighting for over 2000 years, and will continue.

So you spend billions producing the ultimate missile defence system and said enemy just delivers their nuke by some other method - just stick it on a plane, boat, van, etc. Missile defence is useless.The restart of the project and the 5 billion has got more to do with political lobbying by defence contractors looking for some blank cheques to spend.

It's easier to throw a rock over a fence and hit your target than to throw a rock through a fence and hit your target. This would just help put a fence over our heads to make it a little harder to hit us, not impossible.